This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned:

C.W. - Hong Kong

Teaching EFL in KindergartenThe demand for teaching English to young learners in non-english speaking countries is very high and continues to rise. There is a growing interest for a lot of parents from various countries like Japan, china, and Taiwan, to let their children learn English at a very young age or take English lessons as an afterschool or extra curriculum. Many parents want their children to become highly efficient in the English language in this globalized world.
Teaching English to Kindergarten students whose first language is not English is much different from teaching English language arts to students in english speaking countries. While the rewards for Teaching

English as Foreign Language are high, the challenges are equally huge. Therefore, specialized training is necessary and crucial for the teachers to be well equipped for teaching children with little or no English background around the world.
There are conventional as well as unconventional approaches and methods for teaching English as a foreign language to young learners. Major focus should be put in language areas and skills like vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, listening, speaking, and reading. It is important to emphasize the use of authentic and cognitively appropriate language activities.
A good instructional program is essential to make learning English a success for young students. First, the objective is to make the English foreign language learning experiences enjoyable which at the same time build confidence for the learners. Secondly, young learners should start with a natural stage of basic oral communication before developing reading and writing

skills.
Using a story based approach in teaching English as foreign language to young learners has many advantages. It develops children?s communicative, cognitive, and social skills. Storytelling is a great way to get young learners motivated and interested in learning English. Stories can introduce vocabulary and language structures while children can develop literacy skills that will greatly impact their future learning in a positive way.
The techniques and activities used in a Kindergarten classroom should be varied to accommodate the different learning styles of the young learners and maintain their interests. Not only should the techniques be appropriate for the learners? cognitive level and needs, they should also allow students to engage in read-aloud, pair work, group discussions, and oral interactions with others, so that they can practice and

apply what they have been learning. It would be a great idea to incorporate singing, arts and crafts, story time, drama, puzzles solving, and games into the learning activities as well.
Finally, classroom-based assessments play an integral part in the whole teaching and learning process as the students can demonstrate what they have learned and how they perform. It also tells whether the instructional goals have been achieved. Assessments should be an ongoing process to measure the students? abilities, difficulties, achievements, and progress. Assessment methods can come in a form of observation sheets, short questionnaires, or class tests.
In summary, effective Teaching English as Foreign Language to young learners provides children opportunities and exposure to use the language efficiently in expressing themselves purposefully and accomplish developmental milestones to reach their goals. The learning environments provided for young

learners should be challenging, yet encouraging, so that the best outcome can be reached. Good teachers can help young learners use their knowledge and learning experiences of their first language to expand their learning in English as a second or foreign language. The ability to follow these guiding principles will lead to successful teaching.

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